Korean coaches fired; players face 2-year suspension

At a disciplinary hearing, the Badminton Korea Association (BKA) decided to terminate the positions of both Head Coach Sung Han Kook and women’s doubles coach Kim Moon Soo for their role in the match-throwing incident that tainted the recent London Olympic Games (see related article here).

In a report released today, Korea’s Yonhap News Agency mentioned that the BKA had also decided to suspend the four players who were already ejected from the Olympic women’s doubles competition by the Badminton World Federation for attempting to throw their final group matches (see related article here).  If the decision stands, Kim Min Jung, Ha Jung Eun, Kim Ha Na, and Jung Kyung Eun will be prevented from playing domestic or international matches for two years, at which time Kim Min Jung, the elder stateswoman on the Korean doubles squad, will have just had her 28th birthday.

The BKA is giving the players and coaches until August 21st to appeal, with a final decision expected to be made at an Executive Committee meeting on the 22nd.

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